Recipe: Jeonbok juk (abalone porridge)

Jeonbok juk (전복죽, abalone porridge), like many kinds of juk, or porridge, is especially good for soothing the stomach and the soul. With abalone, considered by many to be a pricey and hard-to-get ingredient, this porridge becomes the kind of dish you might cook for your parents if they’re not feeling well. We say: Feed it to anyone special, including yourself. It doesn’t hurt to treat yourself well every once in a while.

Note: You can add other ingredients to your jeonbok juk as you see fit. In these photos, I’ve added naengi (냉이, shepherd’s purse shoots), which is great in the spring. Blanch and chop them ahead of time, and add them late in the simmering so that they keep their scent.

This is about halfway done—make sure they’re cut a little smaller than this.

1. Use a knife or kitchen scissors, cut the abalone innards into small pieces. You have to take apart the gut—otherwise, if it is cooked whole, you won’t be able to get that nice green color when your porridge is done, and you’ll also be missing the key flavor point of this dish.

2. Mix the soaked and drained rice thoroughly with the innards.

3. Place the rice into a pot, add sesame oil, sauté on medium high heat for about 5 minutes (one way to think of it: until each grain of rice has touched the pot at least once). Add water. Let simmer on medium low heat. Stir frequently to avoid burning the bottom.

This rich color comes from using plenty of abalone guts. Delicious!

[If you’re adding naengi to your juk, now’s the time to do it: Wait until the rice is about 2/3 done, around 20 or so minutes, before stirring it in.]

4. When your rice becomes plump and there is not too much water left, it’s ready. This may take 30 or more minutes.

5. Serve hot and unsalted—instead, put a little salt on the table for guests to season their bowls individual. If you season this porridge in advance, the texture becomes too loose. Garnish with ground roasted sesame seed.

2 replies on “ Recipe: Jeonbok juk (abalone porridge) ”

Hi Regina! Yes, you can use frozen abalone. Fresh ones taste better and have a nicer texture, but if you’re using frozen ones, defrost them slowly in the fridge overnight before cooking. This makes a huge difference in the texture. Good luck and let us know how it goes! 🙂